Life's Funny Like That
by chels48
Summary: Tells how Rory and Lorelai's lives have changed after the season five finale. Luke and Jess will be added into the mix as well. It's my first fanfic, so please be honest. Please R&R. ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1: One Word

Chelsea Griffin

6/28/05

Gilmore Girls

Chapter 1: One Word

It's been a long time since she thought about that night. The night when she sat in her empty dorm with only a feeling of loss so intense it was suffocating to keep her company. So many emotions had raced through her body. Shock, sorrow, regret. But the feeling that had been most powerful was fear. Fear that she just made the biggest mistake of her life. Fear that she just let the one person she had ever truly loved walk out the door and out of her life forever. Fear that she wouldn't ever be happy again. She had never felt this kind of fear before. She was amazed to find that once again, he was able to bring out such emotions she never thought capable of knowing, let alone feeling. Why does the memory of that night come back to her now? After everything that has happened, everything that has changed.

She stands up abruptly, surprising herself. She wipes the tears that have fallen on her cheek and shuts down her mind. She is amazed at how easy it is to do that now. To just let all of those memories and feelings drain from her body; to shut out the world and everyone in it.

Emily knocks on the door to the pool house and announces that it's time for dinner like she deserves the Nobel Prize for accomplishing such a task and Rory hates her for it. She knows it's wrong to hate them, that they are only trying to help her, but she does anyway. She keeps these feelings to herself. Partly because she's too ashamed to say them out loud, but mainly because she has no one to confide in anymore. Everyone that she cares about is gone. Lorelai, Luke, Lane. And Jess. She desperately wishes her mind would let her forget about them. She pleads with her subconscious to let them go. She doesn't realize that it's her heart that won't let them go, and not her mind.

Emily asks if she's alright. Rory immediately flips the switch and becomes a façade of happiness and of her old self. She contorts her mouth into a painful smile that she wishes she meant and says she is fine. Emily can see the truth behind Rory's eyes but ignores it. They walk to the main house together and another night passes just like they have for the past four months.

Rory is sitting in Luke's diner drinking coffee and patiently waiting for her mother, not at all surprised that she is fifteen minutes late. Luke comes to the table and refills her cup, smiling at her. Rory smiles back, happy to have Luke in her life. A few minutes later, Lorelai walks through the door, making the little bells around the door knob announce her arrival. Rory knows that there is no need for those bells. When Lorelai walks through any door, you can feel it without even looking up. Rory loves that about her. Lorelai sits down at the table, her cheeks flushed from rushing to get here and declares she needs coffee. They automatically start up their usual witty banter and have each other smiling and laughing. It is the most wonderful feeling.

In the middle of one of Lorelai's references, Rory sees someone descend from the apartment upstairs and immediately gets up and walks to him. She wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him, loving how his hands seem to fit perfectly to the curves of her hips. She feels like nothing bad can ever happen. And then, just as suddenly as this fairytale came, it is gone and she is left all alone once again.

She woke up in a cold sweat, tears running down her cheeks. She tries to be strong and to forget, but it's too hard. For the first time in a long time, she allows herself to weep and to feel the pain that she has kept inside for so long. She knows what she should do. God knows how many times she's reached for the phone, dialed the numbers, and then hung up at the first sound of her voice. That voice, that beautiful voice that comforted her when she was sick and made her laugh when she was sad, seems so far away. It's becoming unfamiliar, and that scares Rory.

Finally gaining control over her sobs, she takes a deep breath and picks up the phone. She watches her fingers dial the number. She holds her breath as she listens to the rings. It seems like an eternity goes by as she counts them. One, two, three, four, five, six…"Hello?" Rory is taken aback by the sleepy voice that travels through the phone. She listens to steady breathing on the other end and then she hears her mother's voice again.

"Hello?"

Rory's mind is screaming at her. _Say something! Say anything! Don't let her hang up! Don't let things go on like this!_ Rory takes another deep breath. _Come on! She's not going to stay on the phone forever! You have to do it now! Just do it! _She hears Lorelai speak again, hearing the frustration in her voice.

"Listen, whoever you are, I'm a pretty tolerant person and for the past few weeks I've let your silent prank calls roll right off me. But I'm getting fed up. I mean, how incredibly rude is it to call someone in the middle of the night when she has to wake up very early the next morning so that she can earn a living! You had your laugh, so please please just leave me alone!

Rory feels the hint of a smile cross her face as she listens to her mother's incoherent ramblings. _It's now or never! _She takes one last deep breath and forms the word she's been dying to say around her mouth.

"Mom?" At the sound of her voice saying this simple word, she breaks down.


	2. Chapter 2: Forgiving Silence

Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls, yada yada yada, don't sue me.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, leave more please! I'm still trying to figure out where exactly I'm gonna go with this, so I guess I'll just see how it goes.

Chapter 2: Forgiving Silence

Lorelai is sure she is hearing things. That wasn't her daughter on the other end of the phone; it was merely a wish that has been tucked away under layers of emotions that have been coursing through her body ever since that one fateful night. Her mind is racing. _This isn't Rory. It's just someone playing a joke on me. Some immature, heartless, cruel son of a bitch who knows how much this is hurting me and loves it. Just hang up and it will all go away. Just hang up the phone, Lorelai! _But she doesn't hang up. Instead, she puts her ear back to the phone and what she hears takes her breath away. She hears the unmistakable sobs of a girl she used to know. A girl who has her piercing blue eyes and her great taste in movies and music, among other things. Tears come rushing to her eyes as the name she hasn't spoken in nearly four months escapes her lips.

"Rory?" And with that, Lorelai breaks down and starts to sob.

They stay like that for a long time. Both of them unable to stop the tears and unable to speak. After the tears start to subside, silence ensues. It is not an angry silence, as Lorelai pictured it would be on the rare occasions when she allowed herself to think about such calls from her daughter. It was a forgiving silence, an understanding silence. They both knew how much the other had been hurting and they both knew that what had happened was bad, but not unfixable. After awhile, Rory broke the silence.

"Mom, I am so sorry." She felt a new wave of tears sting her eyes but choked them down because she owed this to her. "I never wanted to hurt you. I, I don't know who I am anymore. I am so scared. I want it back. I want it all back. You, Yale, my dreams, my pride…I just don't know what to do to get it back. I just, I love you so much and I am hurting so bad because I disappointed you and I took everything you've sacrificed for me and I threw it in your face like it didn't mean anything. I don't want to be who I'm becoming. Everything just seems so impossible! And I'm not like you! I'm not brave and determined like you are. I can't do it. I wish I could, but I can't. And it kills me to say that but I can't deny what's staring me right in the face! But none of that even matters anymore. I would give all of that up in a second if it meant that you and I would be okay again. I just can't go through life anymore without you. I can't."

Lorelai listens to her daughter's plea and begins to feel the giant hand that had been squeezing her heart for so long finally start to loosen its grip. She knows Rory means what she is saying and that makes her break into a radiant smile even though her eyes are still overflowing with tears. For once in her life, she finds herself at a loss for words and unable to come up with a smart quip to lighten the situation and make them both laugh. She opens her mouth, expecting nothing to come out, but instead a flood of words escapes.

"I can't live without you either. These past months have been torture. I don't know how many times I picked up the phone to call you and then chickened out at the last second. I don't know what to do without you. You are my best friend and I love you so much, but I don't like who you're becoming either. We've both worked so hard. It may seem impossible right now, but we'll fight for it. It wouldn't be fun if it were easy. I know you're terrified right now and so am I but we can do this. We can fix everything. You're my daughter and my best friend and nothing can ever change that. I know we're both hurting right now but the pain will ease up eventually. You have to believe that you can do it though. You have to believe in yourself or else it won't happen. I love you, kid. And I believe in you. You need to believe in yourself too."

Rory hesitates and then says, "Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I please come home?"

"Aw babe, of course you can. Do you want me to come get you?"

"Yes."

"I'll be there as fast as I can."

Lorelai's mind was on overdrive as she drove to meet her daughter. _I wonder if she'll look different. Of course she won't look different, it's only been four months. A person's appearance can't change that drastically in four months. Well, unless you're Meg Ryan. Oh no! What if my parents hear my car? I cannot deal with seeing them right now. Now the sixteenth of June in my next life might be ok, but anytime before that would totally suck. Maybe I should park down the road and walk the rest of the way, just to be safe. No, the neighbors would probably look out their window and see a woman still in her pajamas running across their yard and call the cops and then they would definitely see me. I guess I'll just have to risk it. Pull a 007, James Bond kind of thing. Duck behind trees, roll of the ground, sing my own background music. It'll be a blast. Oh God, I'm here. Ok, I can do this. It's Rory for God's sake._

Lorelai pulls into the driveway and stops the car. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she shuts the door and makes her way to the pool house. She can feel her heart pounding in her chest and her breath comes in short, sporadic gasps. Her hand reaches for the door. Her first instinct is to just barge in, not bothering to knock. Just as her hand grazes the wooden door panel, it swings open and standing before her is her beautiful daughter. Her eyes are red and puffy, her cheeks are streaked with salty tears, there are dark circles under her eyes, and her shoulders are hunched in defeat; but she is beautiful.

They stand before each other, mother and daughter, friend and friend. They take each other in their arms and hold each other. Tears are streaming down both of their faces, pieces of their heart slowly coming back together. This is the reunion they had both been waiting for and now that it's finally here they can't believe it's actually happening.

After awhile, Lorelai pulls back, still clutching her daughter's hand, afraid to let go. Rory smiles at her and her eyes immediately light up.

"Are those new pajamas?" Laughing as she says it.

"Yeah, they are."

They both break into hysterical laughter, not knowing what exactly is so funny and finding it hilarious. They collapse to the floor holding their stomachs. When they finally get control over their giggles, they lay there on the floor, looking up at the ceiling, neither of them knowing what to say.

Breaking the silence, Rory whispers, "I missed you mom."

"I missed you too, kid."

They both smile because they know that these are the only words they need to say.


End file.
